Interchangeable cases for biometric monitoring devices

ABSTRACT

A biometric monitoring device and multiple carrying cases for same are provided. In some implementations, the case may be made from a flexible viscoelastic material and the biometric monitoring device may be slipped into a receptacle in the case through an opening in the case; the opening may become distended during the insertion of the biometric monitoring device. In some implementations, the case may feature a display window that, in combination with materials of the biometric monitoring device, may mask a display of the biometric monitoring device from view when the display is off and may allow the display to be seen when the display is displaying content.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/027,032, filed Sep. 13, 2013, which itself claims benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/789,454, filedMar. 15, 2013, titled “WEARABLE BIOMETRIC MONITORING DEVICES,INTERCHANGEABLE ACCESSORIES AND INTEGRATED FASTENINGS TO PERMIT WEAR,”and also claims priority as a continuation-in-part under 35 U.S.C. §120to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/767,836, filed Feb. 14, 2013 andwhich will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 8,543,185 on Sep. 24, 2013, which isitself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/297,165,filed Nov. 15, 2011 and which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,386,008 on Feb.26, 2013, which is itself a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/156,304, filed Jun. 8, 2011, which itself claims benefit under 35U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Patent Application Nos. 61/388,595 and61/390,811, respectively filed on Sep. 30, 2010, and Oct. 7, 2010, allof which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

Recent consumer interest in personal health has led to a variety ofpersonal health monitoring devices being offered on the market. Suchdevices, until recently, tended to be complicate to use and weretypically designed for use with one activity, e.g., bicycle tripcomputers.

Recent advances in sensor, electronics, and power source miniaturizationhave allowed the size of personal health monitoring devices, alsoreferred to herein as “biometric tracking” or “biometric monitoring”devices, to be shrunk to extremely small sizes. For example, the FitbitUltra is a biometric tracking device that is approximately 2″ long,0.75″ wide, and 0.5″ deep; it has a display, battery, sensors, wirelesscommunications capability, power source, and interface button, as wellas an integrated clip, packaged within this small volume.

SUMMARY

Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will becomeapparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Note thatthe relative dimensions of the following figures may not be drawn toscale unless specifically indicated as being scaled drawings.

In some implementations, a biometric tracking system may be provided.The biometric tracking system may include a biometric tracking modulehaving a housing with a nominal maximum dimension, at least onebiometric sensor, at least one processor, a memory, and a display. Theat least one biometric sensor, the at least one processor, and thedisplay may be communicatively connected with one another and the memorymay store instructions for controlling the at least one processor to:obtain biometric data from the at least one biometric sensor, receive arequest to display an aspect of the biometric data on the display,cause, responsive to the request, the display to show the aspect of thebiometric data on the display, and cause, when the display is in an offstate, the display to turn on to show the aspect of the biometric dataon the display. The biometric tracking system may also include a moldedband configured to be worn on an organism's limb or neck, the moldedband having a receptacle with an opening having a nominal maximumdimension smaller than the nominal maximum dimension of the housing. Thebiometric tracking module may be configured to be removably insertedinto the receptacle via the opening.

In some implementations, the organism's limb or neck may be a person'sforearm. In some such implementations, the organism's limb or neck maybe a feline or canine neck.

In some implementations, the receptacle may have an interior surfacespanning opposing ends of the opening that are located along an axissubstantially perpendicular to the organism's limb or the neck when themolded band is worn on the organism's limb or neck, the housing may havean exterior surface, and substantially all of the interior surfacebetween the opposing ends of the opening may contact the exteriorsurface when the biometric tracking module is inserted into thereceptacle.

In some implementations, the receptacle may have an interior surface,the housing may have an exterior surface, and substantially all of theinterior surface may contact the exterior surface when the biometrictracking module is inserted into the receptacle.

In some implementations, the molded band may be at least partially madefrom a compliant material between opposing ends of the opening that arelocated along an axis substantially perpendicular to the organism's limbor neck when the molded band is worn on the organism's limb or neck, andthe molded band may be constructed such that the opening may beelastically stretched to a stretched maximum dimension larger than thenominal maximum dimension of the opening as the biometric trackingmodule is inserted through the opening and into the receptacle. In somesuch implementations, the compliant material may have a Young's modulusbetween about 1 MPa and 690 MPa. In some alternative or additional suchimplementations, the compliant material may be a thermoplasticpolyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic vulcanizate, apolyurethane, a silicone, or a combination thereof.

In some implementations, the opening may face towards the organism'slimb or neck when the molded band is worn on the organism's limb orneck. In some additional or alternative implementations, the opening mayface away from the organism's limb or neck when the molded band is wornon the organism's limb or neck.

In some implementations, the display may be an illuminable display and aportion of the molded band that overlays the illuminable display whenthe biometric tracking module is inserted into the receptacle may bemade of a material that, in combination with any materials of thebiometric tracking module interposed between the portion and theilluminable display when the biometric tracking module is inserted intothe receptacle, has an opacity (i) that causes the illuminable displayto not be visible through the portion when the biometric tracking moduleis inserted into the receptacle and the illuminable display is in an offstate or is not displaying content and (ii) that causes the illuminabledisplay to be visible through the portion when the biometric trackingmodule is inserted into the receptacle and the illuminable display is inan on state and displaying content.

In some such implementations, the portion of the molded band may be madefrom a tinted translucent material. In some such implementations, thetinted translucent material may have a light transmittance of between15% and 50%.

In some implementations, the portion of the molded band may be made froma frosted translucent material. In some implementations, the portion ofthe molded band may have a reflective coating through which theilluminable display is visible when the biometric tracking module isinserted into the receptacle and the illuminable display is displayingcontent.

In some implementations, the molded band may have a first strapextending away from a first edge of the opening by a first length and asecond strap extending away from a second edge of the opening on anopposite side of the opening from the first edge by a second length. Thefirst strap, the second strap, and the receptacle substantially maydefine a band plane that is substantially perpendicular to a limb axisof the organism's limb or a neck axis of the organism's neck when themolded band is worn on the organism's limb or neck, and the first strapmay have a plurality of similarly-sized holes distributed along at leasta portion of the first length. At least one peg may protrude from thesecond strap, the at least one peg having a head portion and a stemportion. The head portion and the stem portion of each peg may be sizedto be insertable through one of the similarly-sized holes, and eachsimilarly-sized hole may be sized such that the similarly-sized hole isdistended to a greater degree by the insertion of the head portionthrough the similarly-sized hole than by the insertion of the stemportion through the similarly-sized hole.

In some implementations, the biometric tracking system may include a pegcomponent, the peg component having a base and at least one pegprotruding from the base. The molded band may have a first strapextending away from a first edge of the opening by a first length and asecond strap extending away from a second edge of the opening on anopposite side of the opening from the first edge by a second length. Thefirst strap, the second strap, and the receptacle substantially maydefine a band plane that is substantially perpendicular to a limb axisof the organism's limb or a neck axis of the organism's neck when themolded band is worn on the organism's limb or neck. The first strap mayhave a plurality of first holes distributed along at least a portion ofthe first length, and the second strap may have a corresponding secondhole for each peg of the peg component. Each peg of the peg componentmay have a head portion and a stem portion; the head portion and thestem portion of each peg may be sized to be insertable through one ofthe first holes and through the corresponding second hole, and eachfirst hole may be sized such that the first hole is distended to agreater degree by the insertion of the head portion through the firsthole than by the insertion of the stem portion through the first hole.

In some implementations, a band may be provided. The band may beconfigured to be worn on an organism's limb or neck and may include amolded body, a first molded strap extending away from a first end of themolded body, a second molded strap extending away from a second end ofthe molded body opposite the first end. The molded body, the firstmolded strap, and the second molded strap may be configured tosubstantially encircle the organism's limb or neck and may substantiallydefine a band plane perpendicular to a limb axis of the organism's limbor a neck axis of the organism's neck when the band is worn on theorganism's limb or neck. The band may also include a cavity within themolded body, the cavity sized to receive a biometric tracking device andto hold the biometric tracking device substantially fixed with respectto the molded body when the biometric tracking device is fully insertedinto the cavity, and an opening in the molded body leading to thecavity, the opening sized to be smaller in cross-sectional area than themaximum cross-sectional area of the biometric tracking device in a planesubstantially parallel to the opening when the biometric tracking deviceis fully inserted into the cavity.

In some such implementations, the organism's limb or neck may be aperson's forearm. In some other such implementations, the organism'slimb or neck may be a feline or canine neck.

In some implementations, the cavity may have an interior surfacespanning between opposing ends of the opening, the opposing ends of theopening may be located along an axis spanning between the first end ofthe molded body and the second end of the molded body, and substantiallyall of the interior surface spanning between the opposing ends of theopening may contact an exterior surface of the biometric tracking devicewhen the biometric tracking device is fully inserted into the cavity.

In some implementations, the cavity may have an interior surface andsubstantially all of the interior surface may contact an exteriorsurface of the biometric tracking module when the biometric trackingmodule is inserted into the cavity.

In some implementations, the molded body may be at least partially madefrom a compliant material between the first end of the molded body andthe second end of the molded body, and the molded body may be designedsuch that the opening may be elastically stretched to permit thebiometric tracking device to be fully inserted into the cavity.

In some such implementations, the compliant material may be athermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplasticvulcanizate, a polyurethane, a silicone, or a combination thereof. Insome such implementations, the compliant material may have a Young'smodulus between about 1 MPa and 690 MPa.

In some implementations, the display may be an illuminable display and aportion of the molded body that overlays the illuminable display of thebiometric tracking module when the biometric tracking module is fullyinserted into the cavity may be made of a material that, in combinationwith any materials of the biometric tracking module interposed betweenthe portion and the illuminable display when the biometric trackingmodule is fully inserted into the cavity, has an opacity that causes theilluminable display to not be visible through the portion when thebiometric tracking module is inserted into the cavity and theilluminable display is in an off state or is not displaying content andthat causes the illuminable display to be visible through the portionwhen the biometric tracking module is inserted into the cavity and theilluminable display is in an on state and displaying content.

In some such implementations, the portion of the molded band may be madefrom a tinted translucent material, a frosted translucent material, or areflective material. In some such implementations, the tintedtranslucent material may have a light transmittance of between 15% and50%.

In some implementations, the opening may face towards the organism'slimb or neck when the molded band is worn on the organism's limb orneck. In some other implementations the opening may face away from theorganism's limb or neck when the molded band is worn on the organism'slimb or neck.

In some implementations, a band configured to be worn on a person's limbmay be provided. The band may include a pocket region having a pocket.The pocket may be formed between a first layer of flexible material anda second layer of flexible material and sized to allow a biometrictracking device associated with the band to be fully inserted within thepocket. The band may also include a slit in an exterior textile layer ofthe band. The slit may extend in a direction substantially parallel tothe person's limb when the band is worn on the person's limb, may beshorter in length than a longest dimension of the associated biometrictracking device, and may permit the biometric tracking device to befully inserted into the pocket. The first layer of flexible material maybe a mesh through which a display on the biometric tracking device is atleast partially visible when the biometric tracking device is fullyinserted into the pocket with the display facing the first layer anddisplaying content on the display.

In some implementations, the band may be contiguous and may beconfigured to stretch such that the band may be slid over the person'shand and onto the person's forearm or over the person's foot and ontothe person's leg before relaxing into a less-stretched configurationaround the person's forearm or leg.

In some implementations, the band may also include a first end and asecond end, the first end located opposite the second end. The pocketregion may be located between the first end and the second end.

In some implementations the band may include a torsional flat springelement spanning between the first end and the second end. The torsionalflat spring element may have a first mechanically stable configurationthat causes the band to maintain a circular shape.

In some implementations, the torsional flat spring element may bemechanically bistable and may have a second mechanically stableconfiguration that causes the band to maintain a substantially flatshape.

In some implementations, the band may also include a first fasteningregion adjacent to the first end and a second fastening region adjacentto the second end and configured to engage with at least a portion ofthe first fastening region in a disengageable manner to allow the bandto be placed around the person's limb and the first end and the secondend to be connected to one another. The pocket region may be furtherlocated between the first fastening region and the second fasteningregion.

In some implementations, the first fastening region and the secondfastening region may each include complementary fasteners such ashook-and-loop fasteners, buckle and tang fasteners, magnetic fasteners,friction clasps, camlock and strap buckles, or hook clasp fasteners.

In some implementations, the band may include a first perforated regionpartially or wholly overlapping with the first fastening region. Thehole features that pass through the band may be distributed throughoutthe first perforated region.

In some implementations, the pocket may not extend into the hook regionand may not extend into the loop region.

In some implementations, the band may also include a second perforatedregion between the second end of the band and the pocket region. Thehole features passing through the band may be distributed throughout thesecond perforated region.

In some implementations, the slit may span between two through-holes inthe exterior textile layer, and both sides of the textile layer may becoated with an elastomeric material in a localized region around theslit.

In some implementations, the exterior textile layer may have an openingsubstantially corresponding in size to the pocket, and the first layerof flexible material may be interposed between the exterior textilelayer and the second layer of flexible material.

In some implementations, a wearable case for a biometric monitoringdevice may be provided. The wearable case may include a molded body madeof a compliant material; a cavity within the molded body, the cavitysized to receive a biometric tracking device and to hold the biometrictracking device substantially fixed with respect to the molded body whenthe biometric tracking device is fully inserted into the cavity; anopening in the molded body leading to the cavity, the opening sized tobe smaller in cross-sectional area than the maximum cross-sectional areaof the biometric tracking device in a plane substantially parallel tothe opening when the biometric tracking device is fully inserted intothe cavity; and a hole that passes through the molded body and ispositioned such that a keyring may pass through the hole or such that alanyard may be threaded through the hole.

In some implementations, the wearable case may further include a lanyardthreaded through the hole, the lanyard sized so as to be wearable arounda person's neck. In some other implementations of the wearable case, thewearable case may also include a keyring threaded through the hole. Insome implementations, the compliant material may have a Young's modulusbetween about 1 MPa and 690 MPa. In some implementations, the compliantmaterial may be a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic elastomer,a thermoplastic vulcanizate, a polyurethane, a silicone, or acombination thereof.

These and other implementations are described in further detail withreference to the Figures and the detailed description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various implementations disclosed herein are illustrated by way ofexample, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to similarelements.

FIG. 1 depicts a generalized schematic of an example computing devicethat may be used to implement a portable biometric monitoring device orother device with which the various operations described herein may beexecuted.

FIG. 2A depicts a plan view of an example of a portable biometricmonitoring device having a button and a dead face display.

FIG. 2B depicts an isometric view of the example of the portablebiometric monitoring device of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2C depicts an exploded view of the example of the portablebiometric monitoring device of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of another example of a portablebiometric monitoring device.

FIG. 4A depicts another example of a portable biometric monitoringdevice.

FIG. 4B depicts a partially-exploded view of the example of the portablebiometric monitoring device of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C depicts a detailed view of light pipes used to direct and shapethe light emitted from one or more LEDS in the example of the portablebiometric monitoring device of FIG. 4A, as well as an antenna located onthe electronics package seen in FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5 depicts a number of example cases that may be used with thedepicted example portable biometric monitoring device.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C depict various views of an example of a portablebiometric monitoring device case having a clip.

FIG. 7 depicts a wristband case made from a viscoelastic material.

FIG. 8 depicts two different example cases for a depicted exampleportable biometric monitoring device.

FIG. 9A depicts one example of a wristband case for a portable biometricmonitoring device.

FIG. 9B depicts the example wristband case of FIG. 9A with a portablebiometric monitoring device inserted.

FIG. 10 depicts a variety of example cases which are compatible with adepicted example portable biometric monitoring device.

FIG. 11A depicts an example of a portable biometric monitoring device.

FIGS. 11B and 11C depict different views of an example wristband casethat may be used to house the example portable biometric monitoringdevice of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 11D depicts an off-angle view of the example wristband case ofFIGS. 11B and 11C.

FIGS. 11E and 11F depict detail views of the ends of the bands of theexample wristband case of FIG. 11D.

FIG. 11G depicts a detailed view of an example of a peg component.

FIGS. 12A through 12F depict an example biometric monitoring device anda wristband case in throughout various stages of insertion of thebiometric monitoring device into the wristband case.

FIG. 12G depicts an example of an arm wearing a biometric monitoringdevice and illustrates various reference axes and planes.

FIGS. 13A and 13B depict different off-angle views of another example ofa portable biometric monitoring device.

FIGS. 13C and 13D depict the example wristband case of FIG. 13A with thepeg component installed and removed, respectively.

FIGS. 13E and 13F depict detail views of the peg components shown inFIGS. 13A and 13B, respectively.

FIGS. 13G and 13H depict exploded side views of the example portablebiometric monitoring device shown in FIG. 13A.

FIGS. 13I and 13J depict side views of the example portable biometricmonitoring device shown in FIG. 13A.

FIG. 14A depicts an example of a wristband case featuring an integratedspine component.

FIG. 14B depicts an off-angle view of a partial cutaway of the examplewristband case having a spine component.

FIG. 14C depicts an example of a spine component that may beincorporated into a strap or band.

FIG. 14D depicts a cross-section of an example of a spine co-molded intoa strap.

FIG. 14E depicts a detail view of the cross-section of FIG. 14D.

FIGS. 2A-8, 6A-6C, 9A, 9B, and 11A-14F are drawn to-scale within eachFigure, although not necessarily from Figure to Figure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure relates to wearable biometric monitoring devices(also referred to herein as “biometric tracking devices” or “biometrictracking modules”) such as those, for example, illustrated in FIGS.1-4C, and cases for housing biometric monitoring devices that featuremechanical straps, bands, clasps, clips and other attachments to enablewear (illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 14C). In several implementations, aset of protective, attachable and/or wearable cases (herein referred tosimply as “cases”) that enable a user to wear a single biometricmonitoring device in multiple fashions or body locations may beprovided. For example, in some implementations, a biometric monitoringdevice may be designed such that it may be inserted into, and removedfrom, a plurality of compatible cases. In other implementations, thebiometric monitoring devices may be permanently or semi-permanentlymounted into (or joined to) straps, clips, clasps, bands, or otherattachments for wear, such as is shown, for example, in FIGS. 13 throughTT. Generally speaking, the various individual elements of the variousexample cases and/or biometric tracking devices shown herein may also becombined with elements from other example cases and/or biometrictracking devices shown herein, e.g., a necklace or pendant case for aremovable biometric monitoring device, such as is shown in FIG. 10, mayalso be provided for a permanently-mounted biometric monitoring device.Such combinations of elements are considered to be within the scope ofthis disclosure. Generally speaking, a biometric monitoring device orbiometric tracking device combined with a case or some other meansallowing it to be worn or easily carried by a person may be referred toherein as a “biometric monitoring system” or “biometric trackingsystem.”

FIG. 1 depicts a generalized schematic of an example portable biometricmonitoring device or other device with which the various operationsdescribed herein may be executed. The portable biometric monitoringdevice 102 may include a processing unit 106 having one or moreprocessors, a memory 108, an operator interface 104, one or morebiometric sensors 110, and input/output 112. The processing unit 106,the memory 108, the operator interface 104, the one or more biometricsensors 110, and the input/output 112 may be communicatively connectedvia communications path(s) 114 (it is to be understood that some ofthese components may also be connected with one another indirectly).

The portable biometric monitoring device (also referred to herein as“the device”) may collect one or more types of biometric data, e.g.,data pertaining to physical characteristics of the human body (such asheartbeat, perspiration levels, etc.) and/or data relating to thephysical interaction of that body with the environment (such asaccelerometer readings, gyroscope readings, etc.), from the one or morebiometric sensors 110 and/or external devices (such as an external heartrate monitor, e.g., a chest-strap heart rate monitor) and may then storesuch information for later use, e.g., for communication to anotherdevice via the I/O 112, e.g., a smartphone or to a server over awide-area network such as the Internet. The processing unit 106 may alsoperform an analysis on the stored data and may initiate various actionsdepending on the analysis. For example, the processing unit 106 maydetermine that the data stored in the memory 108 indicates that a goalthreshold has been reached and may then display content on a display ofthe portable biometric tracking device celebrating the achievement ofthe goal. The display may be part of the operator interface 104 (as maybe a button or other control, not pictured, that may be used to controla functional aspect of the portable biometric monitoring device).

In general, biometric monitoring device may incorporate one or moretypes of user interfaces including but not limited to visual, auditory,touch/vibration, or combinations thereof. The biometric monitoringdevice may, for example, display the state of one or more of the datatypes available and/or being tracked by the biometric monitoring devicethrough, for example, a graphical display or through the intensityand/or color of one or more LEDs. The user interface may also be used todisplay data from other devices or internet sources. The device may alsoprovide haptic feedback through, for instance, the vibration of a motoror a change in texture or shape of the device. In some implementations,the biometric sensors themselves may be used as part of the userinterface, e.g., accelerometer sensors may be used to detect when aperson taps the housing of the biometric monitoring unit with a fingeror other object and may then interpret such data as a user input for thepurposes of controlling the biometric monitoring device. For example,double-tapping the housing of the biometric monitoring device may berecognized by the biometric monitoring device as a user input that willcause the display of the biometric monitoring device to turn on from anoff state or that will cause the biometric monitoring device totransition between different monitoring states, e.g., from a state wherethe biometric monitoring device may interpret data according to rulesestablished for an “active” person to a state where the biometricmonitoring device may interpret data according to rules established fora “sleeping” person.

In another example, while the user is wearing the biometric monitoringdevice 102, the biometric monitoring device 102 may calculate and storea user's step count while the user is wearing the biometric monitoringdevice 102 and then subsequently transmit data representative of stepcount to the user's account on a web service like www.fitbit.com, to amobile phone paired with the portable biometric monitoring unit, and/orto a standalone computer where the data may be stored, processed, andvisualized by the user. Indeed, the device may measure, calculate, oruse a plurality of other physiological metrics in addition to, or inplace of, the user's step count. These include, but are not limited to,caloric energy expenditure, floors climbed or descended, heart rate,heart rate variability, heart rate recovery, location and/or heading(e.g., through GPS), elevation, ambulatory speed and/or distancetraveled, swimming lap count, bicycle distance and/or speed, bloodpressure, blood glucose, skin conduction, skin and/or body temperature,electromyography data, electroencephalographic data, weight, body fat,and respiration rate. Some of this data may be provided to the biometricmonitoring device from an external source, e.g., the user may inputtheir height, weight, and stride in a user profile on a fitness-trackingwebsite and such information may then be communicated to the biometrictracking device and used to evaluate, in tandem with data measured bythe biometric sensors 110, the distance traveled or calories burned ofthe user. The device may also measure or calculate metrics related tothe environment around the user such as barometric pressure, weatherconditions, light exposure, noise exposure, and magnetic field.

As mentioned previously, collected data from the biometric monitoringdevice may be communicated to external devices through thecommunications interface. The communications interface may includewireless communication functionality so that when the biometricmonitoring device comes within range of a wireless base station oraccess point, the stored data automatically uploads to anInternet-viewable source such as a website, e.g., www.fitbit.com. Thewireless communications functionality may be provided using one or morecommunications technologies known in the art, e.g., Bluetooth, RFID,Near-Field Communications (NFC), Zigbee, Ant, optical data transmission,etc. The biometric monitoring device may also contain wiredcommunication capability, e.g., USB.

Other implementations regarding the use of short range wirelesscommunication are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/785,904, titled “Near Field Communication System, and Method ofOperating Same” filed Mar. 5, 2013 which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

It is to be understood that FIG. 1 illustrates a generalizedimplementation of a biometric monitoring device 102 that may be used toimplement a portable biometric monitoring device or other device inwhich the various operations described herein may be executed. It is tobe understood that in some implementations, the functionalityrepresented in FIG. 1 may be provided in a distributed manner between,for example, an external sensor device and communication device, e.g., achest-strap heart rate sensor that may communicate with a biometricmonitoring device.

Moreover, it is to be understood that in addition to storing programcode for execution by the processing unit to effect the various methodsand techniques of the implementations described herein, the memory 108may also store configuration data or other information used during theexecution of various programs or instruction sets or used to configurethe biometric monitoring device. It is to be further understood that theprocessing unit may be implemented by a general or special purposeprocessor (or set of processing cores) and thus may execute sequences ofprogrammed instructions to effectuate the various operations associatedwith sensor device syncing, as well as interaction with a user, systemoperator or other system components. In some implementations, theprocessing unit may be an application-specific integrated circuit.

Though not shown, numerous other functional blocks may be provided aspart of the biometric monitoring device 102 according to other functionsit may be required to perform, e.g., environmental sensingfunctionality, etc. Other functional blocks may provide wirelesstelephony operations with respect to a smartphone and/or wirelessnetwork access to a mobile computing device, e.g., a smartphone, tabletcomputer, laptop computer, etc. The functional blocks of the biometrictracking device 102 are depicted as being coupled by the communicationpath 114 which may include any number of shared or dedicated buses orsignaling links. More generally, however, the functional blocks shownmay be interconnected using a variety of different architectures and maybe implemented using a variety of different underlying technologies andarchitectures. With regard to the memory architecture, for example,multiple different classes of storage may be provided within the memory108 to store different classes of data. For example, the memory 108 mayinclude non-volatile storage media such as fixed or removable magnetic,optical, or semiconductor-based media to store executable code andrelated data and/or volatile storage media such as static or dynamic RAMto store more transient information and other variable data.

The various methods and techniques disclosed herein may be implementedthrough execution of one or more a sequences of instructions, e.g.,software programs, by the processing unit 106 or by a custom-builthardware ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) or programmedinto a programmable hardware device such as an FPGA (field-programmablegate array), or any combination thereof within or external to theprocessing unit 106.

Further implementations and implementations of portable biometricmonitoring devices can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/156,304, titled “Portable Biometric Monitoring Devices and Methods ofOperating Same” filed Jun. 8, 2011, which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

In some implementations, the biometric monitoring device may includecomputer-executable instructions for controlling one or more processorsof the biometric monitoring device to obtain biometric data from one ormore biometric sensors. The instructions may also control the one ormore processors to receive a request, e.g., an input from a button ortouch interface on the biometric monitoring device, a particular patternof biometric sensor data (e.g., a double-tap reading), etc., to displayan aspect of the obtained biometric data on a display of the biometricmonitoring device. The aspect may be a numerical quantity, a graphic, orsimply an indicator (a goal progress indicator, for example). In someimplementations, the display may be an illuminable display so as to bevisible when displaying data but otherwise invisible to a casualobserver. The instructions may also cause the one or more processors tocause the display to turn on from an off state in order to display theaspect of the biometric data.

FIG. 2A depicts a plan view of an example of a portable biometricmonitoring device having a button and a dead face display. FIG. 2Bdepicts an isometric view of the example of the portable biometricmonitoring device of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2C depicts an exploded view of theexample of the portable biometric monitoring device of FIG. 2A.

The depicted biometric monitoring device in FIGS. 2 through CC issimilar to the Fitbit One™, and may be similarly sized, e.g.,approximately 1.9″ in length, 0.75″ wide, and 0.375″ thick. A button 216may be provided to allow a user to interact with the biometricmonitoring device 202; the button 202 may be used, for example, to causedisplay 218 to turn on from an off state or to advance through aplurality of data views. The button 202 and the display 218 may be partof an operator interface 204. A portion of the operator interface 204,e.g., the display 218, may be obscured from the user's view by a fronthousing 222. The front housing 222 may be made or partially made from apartially translucent or transparent material that permits the displayto be seen through the front housing, allowing the display 218 to befully contained within the biometric monitoring device 202. In someimplementations, the front housing 222 may be made from a materialcauses the display 218 to only be transiently visible, i.e., only easilyvisible to a user when the display is displaying content. Examples ofsuch materials include, but are not limited to, smoked translucentplastics, frosted translucent plastics, and reflective translucent ortransparent materials. The display 218 in such implementations may be abacklit or LED display to allow displayed content to shine through thefront housing 222. Such materials may have an opacity or reflectivitythat substantially prevents a person from discerning any significantdetail of objects located on the other side of a surface made of suchmaterial but that permits light emitted from such objects to passthrough the surface to reach the observer. For example, such materialsmay have a light transmittance of between about 15% and 50%, 10% and60%, 5% and 70%, or combinations thereof.

The biometric monitoring device 202 may include a PCB 228, a battery232, and various other components that are housed within the fronthousing 222 and the back housing 224. Among these other components maybe one or more biometric sensors selected from a variety of differenttypes of biometric sensors, e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc. Onetype of biometric sensor that may be included is a barometric altimeter.In order to allow such a barometric altimeter to measure ambientatmospheric conditions while preventing liquid, e.g., rain or sweat,from entering and damaging electronics in the interior of a portablebiometric monitoring device, a gas permeable, liquid-impermeable (orliquid-resistant) membrane such as a Gore™ vent may be used. Such amembrane may be placed over a hole in the device body, allowing thepressure from the exterior of the case to equalize with the pressuresensor on the interior.

Alternatively, or in addition, to the use of a Gore™ vent, a gasket 234located in the interior of the biometric monitoring device may be used.In one implementation, the barometric altimeter/pressure sensor may bemounted to the PCB 228. A thin, flexible water impermeable membrane maycover the barometric altimeter/pressure sensor in a manner that allowsthe barometric altimeter/pressure sensor to still detect the localpressure on the opposite side of the membrane while preventing any wateror moisture that may be present from crossing over the membrane. Themembrane may, for example, be adhered to the PCB 228. Other features ofthe biometric monitoring device, e.g., altimeter gasket 234, may sealagainst the membrane and front housing 222 or the back housing 224 whenthe biometric monitoring device is fully assembled to create awater-tight pressure measurement chamber that is sealed off from theelectronics of the biometric monitoring device but that nonethelesspermits pressure measurements of the conditions within the pressuremeasurement chamber by the barometric altimeter/pressure sensor throughthe membrane. Such a feature may prevent water or other liquids fromentering the biometric monitoring device except within the pressuremeasurement volume bounded by the altimeter gasket 234, membrane, andinterior surface of the front housing 222 or the back housing 224 (orother housing equivalent). Such a segregated pressure measurement volumemay also prevent pressure changes from the interior of the biometricmonitoring device from being detected by the barometricaltimeter/pressure sensor. For example, if deformation of the biometricmonitoring device case causes a pressure change within the housing,isolating the pressure sensor from the rest of the biometric monitoringdevice housing may eliminate or reduce the pressure change detected bythe barometric altimeter/pressure sensor due to such deformation.

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of another example of a portablebiometric monitoring device. In FIG. 3, a biometric monitoring device302 may be provided within an enclosure formed between a front housing322 and a back housing 324. A display 318 may be visible through awindow 371 in the front housing 322. A printed circuit board (PCB) 328may house various other electronic components, e.g., one or moreprocessors, one or more biometric sensors, one or more communicationsinterfaces, etc., that may be used to provide biometric monitoringfunctionality to the portable biometric monitoring device 302. Power forthe biometric monitoring device 302 may be provided from, for example,battery 332, which may be a replaceable battery held in place behind abattery cover 340. While FIG. 3 depicts a variant that is designed touse a disposable button cell battery, other variants may utilize arechargeable battery (e.g., such as the version shown in FIGS. 2Athrough 2C).

The biometric monitoring device of FIG. 3 is similar to the Fitbit Zip™,which has dimensions of approximately 1.1″ by 1.4″ by 0.375″ and ispowered by a 3V coin battery.

FIG. 4A depicts another example of a portable biometric monitoringdevice. FIG. 4B depicts a partially-exploded view of the example of theportable biometric monitoring device of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4C depicts adetailed view of light pipes used to direct and shape the light emittedfrom one or more LEDS in the example of the portable biometricmonitoring device of FIG. 4A, as well as an antenna located on theelectronics package seen in FIG. 4B.

In FIG. 4A, a biometric monitoring device 402 is depicted. In thebiometric monitoring device 402 shown, the front housing/back housingarrangements discussing with respect to other devices shown in thisdisclosure have been replaced with a single-piece housing 476. Theelectronics of the biometric monitoring device may be located on PCB428, which may be slid into the housing 276 and held in place by the cap278.

In the implementation shown, e.g., in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the display 418may be provided by one or more LED indicators (or other light sources)instead of a pixelated display unit. In the particular implementationshown, there are five LED indicators arranged in a line. In someimplementations, light pipes 480 (or other light guiding/maskingfeatures) may be interposed between the display 418 and, for example,the cap 478 or the housing 476. Also visible in FIGS. 4B and 4C isantenna 442, which may be part of an input/output system, e.g.,communications interface, of the biometric monitoring device. Theantenna 442 may be used to send and receive signals from, for example, apaired smartphone or other portable electronic device, another biometricmonitoring device (for example, a biometric monitoring device worn by ajogging partner), or a charging/docketing station. A battery 432 and avibramotor 426 may also be included within the housing 476, and may bemounted to the PCB 428 to allow the entire electronics package of thebiometric monitoring device 402 to be slid inside the housing 476 as aunit.

The biometric monitoring device 402 shown in FIGS. 4A through 4C issimilar to a Fitbit Flex device, which is approximately 1.3″ in length,0.5″ wide, and 0.25″ thick.

FIG. 5 depicts a number of example cases that may be used with thedepicted example portable biometric monitoring device. In FIG. 5, abiometric monitoring device 502, which is similar to the biometricmonitoring device 202, is shown. A suite of different wearableaccessories may be provided that allow the biometric monitoring device502 to be worn in a variety of ways. The biometric monitoring device 502is fully insertable into each of the depicted wearable accessories,providing a secure way to secure the biometric monitoring device 502 toa wearer's person.

Biometric monitoring devices and cases such as those discussed above maybe designed to allow the biometric monitoring device to be easilyattached/inserted and removed from any of a suite of different wearableattachments. The biometric monitoring device may be attached to all ofthe cases using the same attachment method or through differentattachment methods for one or more different cases. Additionally, acombination of attachment methods may be used to create a more secureconnection of the biometric monitoring device to the case.

In one example of an additional attachment technique, the biometricmonitoring device may be secured to the case though the use of apermanent magnet or electromagnet. There may be a magnet in the deviceand the case may contain a ferrous metal. Alternatively, the case maycontain a permanent magnet while the device or device body containsferrous metal. In another example, the case and the device may bothcontain magnets. In such a case, the magnets may be installed to forcethe device to be secured to the case with a specific orientation due tothe force created by the interaction of the two magnets. Permanentmagnets or electromagnets may be used in place of or in addition tomechanical retention techniques.

A clip case 544 may allow the biometric monitoring device 502 to beclipped to a belt, pocket, or other portion of a wearer's clothing. Ifthe biometric monitoring device 502 is inserted into a keychain case546, the keychain case 546/biometric monitoring device 502 may be usedto carry the wearer's keys, or may be securely clipped to a belt loop,zipper pull, or other feature of the wearer's clothing. A necklace case548 may allow the biometric monitoring device 502 to be worn around thewearer's neck as a pendant. In some implementations, the pendant of thenecklace case 548 and the fob of the keychain case 546 may be providedby the same structure, i.e., the “ring” of the keychain may be exchangedfor the “chain” or “lanyard” of the necklace without removing thebiometric monitoring device 502 from the pendant/fob structure.

Each of the clip case 544, the keychain case 546, and the necklace case548 may be constructed out of one or more materials including but notlimited to metals and/or flexible/compliant viscoelastic materials.Flexible compliant viscoelastic materials (herein referred to asviscoelastics) may include, but are not limited to thermoset elastomers(rubber), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic vulcanizates,silicones, and/or polyurethanes (including thermoplastic polyurethanes(TPU)). For example, the bulk of such cases may be made from aviscoelastic material and may be formed around a metal or other morerigid material that forms a semi-rigid structural backbone or that maybe used to provide additional stiffness for components that require it,e.g., for the clip on a clip case. Generally speaking, flexiblematerials suitable for manufacturing a clip case, a keychain case, anecklace case, or a wristband case may include materials having elasticmoduli of 15 to 60 MPa, 3.6 to 120 MPa, 69 to 690 MPa, 1 to 50 MPa, orcombinations of such elastic moduli.

In addition to the viscoelastic cases represented by the clip case 544,the keychain case 546, and the necklace case 548, another type of casethat is envisioned is a textile-based wristband case 550. Such atextile-based wristband case 550 is also discussed in further detaillater in this disclosure.

Returning to the clip case 544, the keychain case 546, and the necklacecase 548, certain observations may be made. The biometric monitoringdevice 502 may have a generally smooth and rounded exterior that permitsit to be easily slid into a silicone or other flexible viscoelasticcase, e.g., such as the clip case 544, the keychain case 546, and/or thenecklace case 548. Each such case may be designed and constructed so asto balance the degree of retention of the device with the ability of awearer to easily remove and reinsert the biometric monitoring device 502into the case. The biometric monitoring device may be inserted into anopening in the viscoelastic material of the case that is smaller thanone or more dimensions of the device, e.g., smaller than a maximumdimension of the biometric monitoring device (as measured along adiagonal or along one of three mutually-orthogonal axes aligned withstandard top/front/side views of the biometric monitoring device 502).By stretching the viscoelastic opening, the opening can be expandedenough to allow the biometric monitoring device 502 to be inserted intothe case. The elasticity of the viscoelastic causes it to return to itsoriginal size, preventing the device from accidentally falling out ofthe case.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C depict various views of an example of a portablebiometric monitoring device case having a clip. As shown in FIGS. 6A,6B, and 6C, a biometric monitoring device 602 may be inserted into aclip case 644 through opening 660. A receptacle or cavity within theclip case 644 may be accessible via the opening and may be sized toreceive the biometric monitoring device such that an interior surface ofthe receptacle is in contact with the biometric monitoring device 602when the biometric monitoring device 602 is fully inserted into thereceptacle. It is to be understood that, as used herein, when the term“contact” is used in the context of two surfaces that contact oneanother within a specified area or region, it is to be understood thatsuch reference indicates that such surfaces are in substantial contactwith one another within that area or region. For example, due to surfaceroughness or localized texturing of one or both surfaces, true contactbetween the two surfaces may actually be limited to a small portion ofthe specified area or region, e.g., those portions where one or bothsurfaces have elevation peaks. Such true contact, however, may occur ina distributed manner across the specified area or region, and suchsurfaces may thus be described as being “in contact” with one anotherwithin the specified area or region.

For example, FIG. 7 depicts a wristband case made from a viscoelasticmaterial, similar to the wristband cases discussed with respect to FIGS.11A through 11F later in this disclosure. In the depicted example, abiometric monitoring device 702 inserted into the wristband case 750 viaan opening 760 may have a textured, e.g., ribbed, exterior surface.While the interstices between each rib may not be in true contact withthe interior surface of the receptacle within which the biometricmonitoring device 702 is inserted, the peaks of each rib may be inactual contact with the interior surface. Thus, within the region of theinterior surface of the receptacle between the two dashed lines, it isto be understood that the interior surface is “in contact” with theexterior surface of the biometric monitoring device 702 despite thenon-contact between the rib interstices and the interior surface.Similarly, if the interior surface has embossed or raised lettering,e.g., a part number, that resulted in some small gaps between theinterior surface and a contacting exterior surface in the vicinity ofthe lettering, such surfaces would still be “in contact” with oneanother over the lettering area.

In some implementations, the opening in the viscoelastic material of thecase may also act as a window to the display of the device (as seen inFIG. 6A for example). In other implementations, there may be otheropenings in the case which allow the user to see visual indicatorsand/or enable sensors on the device to function properly. For example, awindow or vent on the case could be used to allow a pressure sensor toaccurately determine the atmospheric pressure even when the biometricmonitoring device is encased within the case. In another example, awindow in the case may allow an optical heart rate sensor to have aclear optical pathway to the skin of the user.

In some implementations, one or more channels, tubes, and/or holes mayconnect the pressure sensor of the device to the exterior of the case asseen with ventilation holes 652 in FIG. 6A. The ventilation holes 652may be functional (when coinciding with a pressure sensor location) ormay be decorative. The ventilation holes 652, however, may be sized tobe considerably smaller than the opening 660 so as to prevent thebiometric monitoring device 602 from slipping out of the clip case 644via the ventilation holes 652.

In another implementation, the case may be designed to transfer pressurefrom the exterior of the case to a pressure sensor in the device throughthe use of a pressure-transmissive membrane or material. In anotherexample, a window in the case could be used to allow optical lightsources and sensors to interact with the environment outside of the caseeffectively. In yet another implementation, the viscoelastic of the casemay be transparent either in one area, multiple areas, or everywhere soas to allow visual indicators or displays to be seen through the caseand/or to give optical sensors an optical path to the exterior of thecase. Case transparency may be achieved by making or more areas of thecase thin (for example by molding). Thin case areas made out ofsemitransparent material (e.g. viscoelastic) can be transparent enoughfor visual indicators such as displays and LEDs to be seen and lightsensors to be able to measure light from the exterior of the case, butmay otherwise mask the appearance of the components behind the thinsections. Thus, the case may present an unbroken surface in the areaover the display, but the display may still be visible through theunbroken surface when displaying content. When the display is off, thenthe case may present a largely featureless surface over the display.

In the pictured implementation, the opening 660 may also serve as awindow through which a display 618 of the biometric monitoring device602 may be observed, as well as a window through which a button 616 ofthe biometric monitoring device 602 may be accessed.

The clip case 644 may also have a retention clip 658 that is configuredto press against a side of the clip case 644 opposite the opening 660.The clip case 644 may be worn in any location where the clip can grasp aportion of what the user is wearing, where clothing or other materialmay be slid in between the retention clip 658 and the remainder of theclip case 644. These locations may include, but are not limited to,clipping the case to the user's pocket, belt, belt loop, waistband,shirt sleeve, shirt collar, shoe, shoelaces, hat, bra, tie, sock,underwear, coin pocket, or other articles of clothing, as well as toaccessories such as a purse, backpack, belt pack, fanny pack, goggles,swim cap, glasses, sunglasses, necklace, pendant, pin, hair accessory,or earring. The retention clip 658 may be made out of a material such aspolyurethane molded in such a form so as to accept a piece of springsteel that increases the spring force exerted by the retention clip 658on the remainder of the clip case 644 such that the friction exerted onany material inserted between the retention clip 658 and the clip case644 is higher than may be attained were the spring steel to be omitted.This may promote retention of the clip case 644 on the wearer's person.In other implementations, the retention clip may include a bare metalretention clip 658 (without being embedded within a polyurethane orother material), or may include a material other than polyurethane thatsurrounds a metal retention clip. In some implementations, the retentionclip may not include any spring steel (or other metal) and may be madefrom plastic, e.g., molded polyurethane. In some implementations, theclip case 644 may also include one or more protrusions 656 or nubs onthe side of the clip case 644 that faces the retention clip 658. Theprotrusions 656 may act to provide the retention clip 658 and clip case644 with additional grip when attached to a wearer's clothing.

FIG. 8 depicts two different example cases for a depicted exampleportable biometric monitoring device. In FIG. 8, a biometric monitoringdevice 802 is shown, along with a keychain case 846 and a necklace case848. In some implementations, the keychain case 846 may, as discussedpreviously, share the same fob/pendant as the necklace case 848. In somefurther implementations, the keychain case 846 and the necklace case 848may use a clip case 844 as the fob and/or the pendant. The keyring usedfor a keychain case 846 may be a split-ring, a lift-open/snap-shut ring,or some other type of ring. Similarly, the lanyard, chain, string, orcord used for the necklace case 848 may be split or otherwise removable(the cord may be continuous, for example, but the pendant portion of thenecklace case may allow the cord to be released, e.g., such as would bethe case if the clip case 844 were to be used as the pendant portion).

FIG. 9A depicts one example of a wristband case for a portable biometricmonitoring device. FIG. 9B depicts the example wristband case of FIG. 9Awith a portable biometric monitoring device inserted.

In FIG. 9A, a wristband case 950 is depicted. In this particularinstance, the wristband case 950 is not made primarily from a moldedviscoelastic material, but is primarily made from a selection of wovenmaterials, i.e., textiles. Some portions of the wristband case 950 may,however, be made using molding techniques and viscoelastic materials, asdiscussed further below.

The wristband case 950 may be sized such that the wristband case 950 maybe wrapped around a wearer's forearm such that a hook region 964 of thewristband case 950 may overlap with a loop region 962 on the oppositeend of the wristband case 950. The hook region 964 and the loop region962 may feature hooks and loops, respectively, of a hook-and-loopfastener system. Of course, other techniques for closing the wristbandcase 950 about a person's forearm may also be used, e.g., magneticclasps, buttons, ties, elastic loops or ties, etc. In someimplementations, the wristband case 950 may be a continuous loop ofmaterial that may stretch so as to be able to be pulled over a wearer'shand and worn on the wearer's forearm.

The depicted variant is similar to a wristband sold with the FitbitOne™, which measures approximately 9.5″ in length when laid flat, 2.5″in width, and approximately 0.06″ in thickness. The loop region of thiswristband measures approximately 4″ in length, and the hook regionmeasures approximately 0.625″ in length.

As can be further seen in FIG. 9A, a pocket region 982 may be providedbetween the hook region 964 and the loop region 962. The pocket region982 may include a pocket that is accessible via an opening 960. Thepocket region 982 may be formed between two or more layers of materialthat are joined together, e.g., sewn, glued, or otherwise attached toone another, substantially about the perimeter of the pocket region 982.The pocket region 982 may also have a display window 972 that may allowan item inserted into the pocket of the pocket region 982 to be at leastpartially visible to a wearer of the wristband case 950. The displaywindow 972 may include another layer of material that is sewn, glued, orotherwise attached to one of the layers of material forming pocketregion 982. In the depicted example, the wristband case 950 is formedfrom at least three distinct layers in the pocket region—a bottom layerand a top layer both made from high-thread-count nylon or othersynthetic material, and a coarser mesh fabric interposed between thebottom layer and the top layer. The top layer, as shown, has a cutoutfor the display window 972, and the mesh fabric is visible through thedisplay window 972. The three fabric layers may be bonded together aboutthe perimeter of the pocket region 982, e.g., by a neoprene layer orother elastomeric material that fuses the multiple fabric layers into aflexible fabric stack. In the depicted implementation, the inter-layerbonding only occurs around the perimeter of the pocket region 982, i.e.,not in the display window 972 and not between the display window 972 andthe opening 960 (although the mesh fabric is still bonded to the toplayer between the display window 972 and the opening 960, the meshfabric and the top layer are not bonded to the bottom layer in thisarea).

The area surrounding the opening 960 may be impregnated with anelastomeric material 968 that may prevent fraying of the fabric throughwhich the opening 960 passes and that may also serve to locallyreinforce the fabric to prevent the opening 960 from opening too much.Stress relief holes 966 may be provided at either end of the slit thatforms the opening 960 to mitigate the effects of flexure of the opening960 due to repeated insertions and removal of a biometric monitoringdevice 902 (as shown in FIG. 9B). As can be seen, the biometricmonitoring device 902 may be inserted through the opening 960 and intothe pocket within the pocket region 982, where it may be visible behindthe display window 982.

While the opening 950 may be stretched to some degree, excessivestretching, e.g., sufficient to expand the opening 950 to a degreeallowing the biometric monitoring device 902 to be inserted through theopening

Alternatively, the device may be placed in the case by orienting it in away which its dimensions are smaller or comparable to the opening. Oncein the case, the device may be reoriented so that its dimensions alongthe opening are larger than the opening.

In the Fitbit One™ wristband case, the opening is approximately 1.25″ inlength (as compared with the approximately 1.9″ length of the FitbitOne™) and the display window is approximately 2″ by 1.25″ in size.

It is to be understood that other implementations of a wristband casesuch as that shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B are also contemplated. Forexample, the display window may, in some implementations, be provided bya translucent contiguous material rather than by the depicted mesh. Inanother example, the wristband case may be provided without ventilationholes or perforations 952.

One feature shared by such alternative implementations of atextile-based wristband case, however, is that the opening may beprovided by a slit in a textile layer that is oriented such that theslit is aligned with the forearm on which the wristband case is to beworn. The present inventors have realized that this is advantageous overalternative orientations, e.g., perpendicular to the forearm, since sucha location makes it more difficult for a biometric monitoring devicethat is inserted into the pocket to accidentally work its way out of thepocket and through the opening.

Cases similar to the textile-based case of FIGS. 9A and 9B may be sizedto allow such cases to be worn on any convenient part of the wearer'sbody, clothing, or accessories, e.g., such as a backpack, beltpack,purse, or anything else the wearer might carry or wear. In anotherimplementation, an adhesive could be applied by the user to the back ofthe case and/or the attachment surface. In one implementation, theadhesive or hook and loop attachment case is disposable. This may proveadvantageous in the case of a race event where the device containsperformance and/or timing tracking capabilities and is recovered afterthe event by the event organizers. The case must be secure andnon-intrusive for the race participants, but may not be desirable torecover after the event due to sanitary concerns, making a disposableadhesive case ideal. A disposable case may also prove desirable in amedical setting such as a hospital where there is a need to monitorpatients but diseases which can be spread by contact with the skin mustbe prevented.

FIG. 10 depicts a variety of example cases which are compatible with adepicted example portable biometric monitoring device. In FIG. 10, abiometric monitoring device 1002, which is similar to the biometricmonitoring device 302 of FIG. 3, may be inserted into any of the casesshown, including a clip case 1044, a keychain case 1046, a necklace case1048, and wristband cases 1050 and 1050′. In contrast to the wristbandcase shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the wristband cases 1050 and 1050′ bothfeature molded construction and are made from a flexible, compliantmaterial allowing them to be wrapped around a person's forearm. Asshown, the wristband cases 1050 and 1050′ may, when the biometricmonitoring device 1002 is inserted therein, appear similar to a watch.The wristband cases 1050 and 1050′ may have opposing ends that fasten toone another using a buckle similar to that found in conventionalwatchbands. In other implementations, however, a different fasteningsystem utilizing peg components may be used—such implementations arediscussed later in this disclosure.

The design of the wristband cases may allow the user to change theclosed circumference of the wristband cases by using an indexed claspmechanism (similar to a watch buckle) or a hook-and-loop mechanism. Suchwristband cases may use techniques similar to those already discussedherein to retain the biometric monitoring device in the wristband case,e.g., a stretchable undersized opening for insertion and removal of thebiometric monitoring device. Similarly, the wristband case may use thisopening, other openings, or case transparency to allow the user to seeany displays or indicators of the biometric monitoring device.

Other cases, referred to herein as “band cases,” similar to thewristband cases discussed herein may be designed so that they may beworn in one or multiple locations including, but not limited to, thewrist, forearm, bicep, chest, stomach, waist, ankle, calf, quadriceps,neck, forehead, and finger. A wristband case may, for example, be wornon a person's forearm, but may also, depending on the size of theperson's ankle, be worn on their lower leg. There may be multiple bandcases that are specific to one or a set of these locations, allowing theuser to choose which one is most appropriate for an anticipatedactivity. In some other implementations, band cases may have a main bodythat receives the biometric monitoring device and may have multipleinterchangeable bands that have different characteristics including butnot limited to color, width, length, material, and clasp type. In someimplementations, the band clasp (an example of which is the pegcomponent discussed in this disclosure) may be removable, allowing theuser to use the same clasp with multiple bands. For example, the usermay have one clasp that may be used with multiple bands of varyingcolors.

In some implementations, the wearer would have the ability to use a bandcase reminiscent of that of a watch including metal clasp mechanism asseen in FIG. 10. Such a case may be preferred by the wearer for moreformal wear or for wear in situations when the increased security of abuckle may be desired, e.g., during periods of strenuous activity.Additionally, the user could choose a band case made out of fabric and ahook and having a hook-and-loop closure mechanism that is morecomfortable to wear. Such a band case may be more desirable to wearwhile sleeping.

In some implementations, band cases may use an elastic band that doesnot require a closure mechanism. For example, a band case may have ametal band forming a C-shape that is elastic enough for the wearer toflex the opening of the metal band such that they may place the bandcase over their forearm. Once released by the wearer, the metal band mayreturn to its un-flexed state, the elasticity of the metal band mayprovide a force around the wrist that prevents the band from falling off(without the use of a clasp).

FIG. 11A depicts an example of a portable biometric monitoring device.FIGS. 11B and 11C depict different views of an example wristband casethat may be used to house the example portable biometric monitoringdevice of FIG. 11A. FIG. 11D depicts an off-angle view of the examplewristband case of FIGS. 11B and 11C. FIGS. 11D and 11E depict detailviews of the ends of the bands of the example wristband case of FIG.11F.

In FIG. 11A, a biometric monitoring device 1102 is shown; the depictedbiometric monitoring device 1102 is similar to the biometric monitoringdevice 402 shown in FIG. 4A. In FIG. 11B, the biometric monitoringdevice 1102 is shown (visible through opening 1160) inserted into awristband case 1150, which has a peg component 1184 having one or morepegs 1186 (in this case, two pegs 1186) inserted into one end of thewristband case 1102, e.g., the end of a strap that is part of thewristband case 1102. The pegs of the peg component 1184 may be insertedinto peg holes 1190 located in an opposite end of the wristband case1102, e.g., the end of an opposing strap that is part of the wristbandcase 1102, in order to secure the wristband case 1150 to a wearer'sforearm.

The wristband case 1150 shown has a translucent window portion that isco-molded with the rest of the wristband case 1150 that serves as adisplay window 1172. The translucent window portion may completelyencircle the wristband case 1102, as shown in the pictured variant, ormay be located only in an area directly overlaying a display of thebiometric monitoring device 1102. In the pictured implementation, thetranslucent window portion is made from a smoked or tinted plastic sothat a wearer of the biometric monitoring device 1102/wristband case1150 may be effectively unable to see the display of the biometricmonitoring device 1150 through the display window 1172 unless thedisplay is actually displaying content, e.g., illuminating pixels on adisplay or discrete LEDs.

FIGS. 11E and 11F show detail views of the ends of the wristband case1150 shown in FIG. 11D. As can be seen, two pegs 1186 protrude from the“left” band portion of the wristband case 1150, and the “right” bandportion of the wristband case has a plurality of peg holes 1190 that maybe arranged in a manner that permits the pegs 1186 to be selectivelyengaged with a like number of peg holes 1190 so as to adjust thecircumference of the wristband case 1150 to allow for a wide range ofadjustability to suit differing wrist/forearm sizes. It is to beunderstood that the “right” and “left” descriptors, as used herein, areused to refer to the location of features with respect to their relativepositioning within the drawing views and are not to be understood tolimit the features to only the described locations.

The pegs may be molded plastic or metal in construction, and maygenerally be made from a much harder and/or stiffer material than thewristband case is (or at least the band portions of the wristband case).The pegs may be engaged with the peg holes by elastically stretching thehole openings to conform with the wider head of the protrusions. Oncethe peg or pegs are pushed through the band holes, the peg holes maycontract again around the thinner portion of the peg geometry, thusholding the two band portions of the wristband case together at thedesired circumference.

In another implementation, the pegs may be made out of a flexiblematerial that can conform to harder and/or stiffer material in thewristband case. Alternatively, the pegs and the wristband case may bothbe flexible and may conform to each other to allow the head portion ofthe peg to be inserted through the peg hole.

The pegs 1186 may have bases that are embedded within the band portionof the wristband case 1150, or may, as in the depicted example, protrudefrom a base portion that is separate from the band portion (but that maybe inserted into holes similar to the peg holes 1190 but are located onthe band portion having the pegs 1186).

FIG. 11G depicts a detailed view of an example of such a peg component.For example, a peg component 1184 may have a base portion that has oneor more pegs 1186 protruding from it. Each peg 1186 may have a centralstem 1194 or core with a head portion 1192 capping the stem 1194. Thehead portion 1192 may be rounded on top to allow a person pushing thehead portion 1192 into a peg hole 1190 to do so with decreaseddifficulty as compared to hard-edged head portions. The head portion1192 may be larger in cross-sectional area in a plane substantiallyparallel to the base of the peg component 1184 than the cross-sectionalarea of the stem 1194 of the peg 1186 in a similar plane.

In addition to the head portion 1192, the peg 1186 may have a peg rib1188 that is located between the head portion 1192 and the peg component1184 base. The peg rib 1188 may act to secure the peg 1186 in a holesimilar to the peg holes 1190 but located on the band portion opposingthe band portion having the peg holes 1190. The peg ribs 1188 may beflared, e.g., have a 90° shoulder on the side facing the peg component1184 base, and a 45° slope on the side facing the head portion 1192.This may facilitate retention of the peg component 1184 in the bandportion when the wristband case 1102 is unclasped.

FIGS. 12A through 12F depict an example biometric monitoring device anda wristband case in throughout various stages of insertion of thebiometric monitoring device into the wristband case.

In FIG. 12A, a biometric monitoring device 1202 and a wristband case1250 are shown. The depicted biometric monitoring device 1202 and thewristband case 1250 are similar in construction to a Fitbit Flex™. Thewristband case 1250 may be a molded wristband made from a flexibleelastomeric material and may have an opening 1260 in the side that facesa person's wrist when worn on the person's forearm. A display window1272 may be embedded in the molded structure of the wristband case 1250.

In FIG. 12B, the biometric monitoring device 1202 has been partiallyinserted into the opening 1260. As can be seen, the opening 1260 hasdistended somewhat to accommodate the insertion of the biometricmonitoring device 1202 since the biometric monitoring device 1202 iswider than the width of the opening in such an orientation.

In FIG. 12C, the biometric monitoring device 1202 has been insertedfurther into the opening 1260, and has been aligned with the long axisof the wristband case 1250.

In FIG. 12D, the biometric monitoring device 1202 has been inserted asfar into the opening 1260 in a direction aligned with the long axis ofthe wristband case 1250 as it can go. To allow the remainder of thebiometric monitoring device to be inserted through the opening 1260, thewristband case 1250 is being flexed over the depicted middle finger suchthat the opening 1260 is elongating further in a direction aligned withthe long axis.

In FIG. 12E, the biometric monitoring device 1202 has been pushedpartially through the distended opening 1260. After the biometricmonitoring device 1202 is pushed completely into the opening 1260, theopening 1260 may largely return to its original shape, as depicted inFIG. 12F.

FIG. 12G depicts a diagram showing the example biometric monitoringdevice of FIGS. 12A through 12F as worn on a person's arm. FIG. 12G maybe useful as a reference frame for defining various axes and locationsfor future reference.

In FIG. 12G, a person's “arm” is shown. In everyday speech, the term“arm” is typically used to refer to the entirety of the limb connectedto a shoulder. However, as used herein, the term “arm” refers to theportion of that limb located between the shoulder joint and the elbowjoint of the limb. The term “forearm” refers to the portion of that limbbetween the elbow joint and the wrist joint. The forearm may encompass aportion of the limb that may often be called the “wrist,” e.g., theportion of the forearm on which a person may wear a watch or bracelet.This disclosure may use the term “wristband” as commonly used ineveryday speech, i.e., to indicate a band that fully or partiallyencircles a person's forearm near the wrist joint. In some cases, somepeople may choose to wear such a band at a loose enough setting that theband may slide into the wrist joint area; such bands are stillconsidered, however, to be configured to be worn on the person's forearmwithin this disclosure. This disclosure uses the conventions outlined inJoseph E. Muscolino's “Kinesiology: The Skeletal System and MuscleFunction,” Second Edition (2011), when discussing various body parts orother kinesiological concepts.

Since a person's arm and forearm are organic structures withwidely-varying appearances from person to person, it may be useful toutilize a common reference framework when discussing such a limb or whendiscussing items that may be worn on such a limb. For example, despitethe wide variation in shape and size of forearms in the generalpopulation, every forearm will have a forearm axis 1257 that issubstantially aligned with the longest direction of the forearm. Anotherway of thinking of the forearm axis 1257 is as the axis that passesthrough the nominal centers of rotation of the wrist joint and the elbowjoint. In addition to a forearm axis, it may be useful to refer to anelbow axis 1259 and a wrist axis 1253. The elbow axis 1259 may generallydefine the pivot axis of the forearm about the elbow joint duringflexion and extension of the forearm, and the wrist axis 1253 maygenerally define the pivot axis of the hand about the wrist joint duringflexion and extension of the hand. An arm axis 1261 may be generallyaligned with the long dimension of the arm and may pass through thecenter of rotation of the elbow joint and the center of rotation of theshoulder joint (not pictured). A hand axis 1255 may pass through thecenter of the wrist joint and generally in a direction aligned with themiddle finger of the hand when at full extension.

As can be seen, the wristband case 1250 shown may encircle the forearmnear the wrist and may generally define a wristband plane 1251 that issubstantially perpendicular to the forearm axis 1257.

When the biometric monitoring device 1202 is worn in a wristband casesuch as wristband case 1250, the opening 1260 that is located in the“rear” of the wristband case may be blocked by the wearer's forearm,thus preventing the biometric monitoring device 1202 from being able toslip out of the wristband case 1250. In other implementations, however,the wristband case may be configured such that the opening is located inthe “front” of the wristband case, e.g., facing away from the wearer'sforearm.

It is to be understood that variations on the wristband cases discussedherein are also considered to be within the scope of this disclosure,e.g., band cases that are sized to be worn on other limb locations on aperson. For example, a band case may be sized so as to be worn on aperson's leg near the ankle joint, or on a person's arm, i.e., betweenthe shoulder joint and the elbow joint. In some implementations, a bandcase may be sized so as to be worn by animals, e.g., pets such as catsand dogs. Such band cases may be worn by the pets as collars, e.g.,around the pet's neck. In such implementations, the band case maygenerally define a band plane (similar to the wristband plane 1251) thatis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the limb orthe spinal axis of the neck (depending on the location where the bandcase is intended to be worn). Generally speaking, a band case that isconfigured to be worn on an organism may refer to a band case that isconfigured to be worn on either a human or an animal.

FIGS. 13A and 13B depict different off-angle views of another example ofa portable biometric monitoring device. FIGS. 13C and 13D depict theexample wristband case of FIG. 13 with a peg component installed andremoved, respectively. FIGS. 13E and 13F depict detail views of the pegcomponents shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, respectively. FIGS. 13G and 13Hdepict exploded side views of the example portable biometric monitoringdevice shown in FIG. 13. FIGS. 13I and 13J depict side views of theexample portable biometric monitoring device shown in FIG. 13A.

In the implementation pictured in FIGS. 13A through 13J, a biometricmonitoring device 1302 is inserted into a two-part wristband case 1350.As can be seen in FIGS. 13C through 13F, the wristband case 1350 mayutilize a peg component 1384 that has pegs 1386 and peg ribs 1388. Thepegs 1386 may be inserted into peg component holes 1396 in one end ofthe wristband case 1302, as shown in FIGS. 13E and 13F.

The two-piece nature of the wristband case 1350 may be more fullyunderstood with reference to FIGS. 13G and 13H, which depict thewristband case 1350 separated from the biometric monitoring device 1302.In the pictured implementation, the biometric monitoring device 1302 mayhave opposing ends, each of which is configured to be inserted into areceptacle located on a different portion of the wristband case 1350.For example, in FIG. 13G, the “left” end of the biometric monitoringdevice 1302 may be configured to be fully inserted into a receptacle inwristband case portion 1350′, and the “right” end of the biometricmonitoring device 1302 may be configured to be fully inserted into areceptacle in wristband case portion 1350″. Ribs, ridges, or otherfeatures on the insertable ends of the biometric monitoring device 1302and/or the interior surfaces of the receptacles of the wristband caseportions 1350′ and 1350″ into which the insertable ends may be insertedmay be used to prevent the wristband case portions from easilyseparating from the biometric monitoring device 1302. Alternatively, oradditionally, the insertable ends of the biometric monitoring device1302 may be bonded into the receptacles on the wristband case portions1350′ and 1350″. FIGS. 13I and 13J depict side views of the assembledbiometric monitoring device 1302/wristband case 1350.

FIG. 14A depicts an example of a wristband case featuring an integratedspine component. FIG. 14B depicts an off-angle view of a partial cutawayof the example wristband case having a spine component.

In general, it may be desirable that the band portions 1499 of awristband case remain flexible enough to conform to the wearer's body inorder to be as comfortable as possible. One way of achieving suchflexibility and comfort is to use a sufficiently soft elastomericmaterial to construct all or part of the band portions 1499 of awristband case. One problem that arises, however, is that as thematerial hardness is decreased, e.g., as measured by a durometer, thereis a corresponding decrease in the holding force that the band portions1499 may exert on the pegs of a peg component that are inserted into pegholes in one of the band portions 1499, i.e., it is easier to pull thepegs back through softer material and out of the peg holes.

One technique for addressing such possible issues is to include a secondcomponent (herein referred to as the “spine”) made from a hardermaterial, e.g., a harder elastomer, than the rest of the band portion1499. The spine may be either separately molded and then insert-moldedinside the strap portion or molded sequentially in a double-injectiontype injection molding machine. The geometry of the spine may be suchthat the portions of the spine that may engaged with the pegs of theopposing band portion 1499 may be sized to be larger than thecross-sectional area of the peg stem and the peg head portion. Suchgeometry may result in the peg primarily contacting the harder spinematerial rather than the softer material of the band portion 1499. Forexample, if the pegs have a cross-section with a nominal stadium (ordiscorectangular) shape, i.e., a rectangle capped on two opposing sidesby semicircles, the spine may, in each region around a peg hole, have asimilar shape that allows the peg head portion to be inserted throughthe peg hole (and spine) and then rest on the spine material. Eachregion of the spine that surrounds a peg hole may be joined to adjacentsimilar regions by a smaller-width (as measured cross-wise to the bandportion 1499) region of spine material so as to not greatly reduce theflexibility of the band portion 1499 while still providing for enhancedpeg grip by the peg holes.

In other implementations, a band portion 1499 may contain two or moreparallel spine components made from a harder elastomer than the rest ofthe band portion 1499. Each of these spine components may engage one ormore pegs, for example, two parallel pegs. By varying the number ofpegs, the force required to insert or remove the pegs can be varied bythe designer.

In some implementations, harder and/or stiffer material may beincorporated into regions of the band portions 1499 other than wherepegs holes are located in order to improve usability or cosmeticappearance. For example, the region of the band portion 1499 throughwhich a peg component may be inserted (the band portion 1499 oppositethe band portion 1499 with the peg holes) may be surrounded by harder,stiffer material to facilitate the insertion of the pegs into peg holeswithout needing to press directly on the peg component.

This construction allows the designer to tune the materialcharacteristics of the band portion 1499 and the mechanics of peg/peghole insertion separately without unduly compromising the cosmeticappearance and/or comfort of the strap assembly.

In FIGS. 14A and 14B, a wristband case 1450 is shown. The wristband case1450 may house a biometric monitoring device 1402. In this example, thewristband case 1450 and the biometric monitoring device 1402 are similarto the wristband case 1350 and the biometric monitoring device 1302,although the spine component discussed may be used with any of a varietyof different molded wristband designs, e.g., molded wristband designsuch as those discussed earlier in this disclosure. As noted above, FIG.14B depicts a partial cutaway of the wristband case 1450, exposing aspine component 1498 to view. The spine component 1498 may be made of astiffer, less flexible material than the remainder of the wristband case1450, and may be embedded or encapsulated within the remainder of thewristband case 1450. The spine component 1498 may be nearly entirelyembedded aside from portions of the spine component in the vicinity ofeach peg hole 1490. Thus, pegs (not shown) protruding from peg component1484 may engage with the spine component 1498 when inserted into the pegholes 1490. FIG. 14C depicts an example of a spine component that may beincorporated into a strap or band.

FIG. 14D depicts a cross-section of an example of a spine co-molded intoa strap, and FIG. 14E depicts a detail view of the cross-section of FIG.14D. As can be seen, the spine component may have a series of aperturesthrough it that correspond to the peg holes 1490. The spine component1490 may locally reinforce the wristband case 1450 and prevent tearingor other damage to the more resilient/compliant materials used in thewristband case 1450.

In the various implementations described herein, the case may have afeature which identifies itself to the biometric monitoring device or asecondary device, e.g., a smartphone paired with the biometricmonitoring device. For example a wristband case may have an NFC tagwhich can be read by an NFC communications interface of the biometricmonitoring device (or smartphone paired with such a device). Otheridentifying features may include an RFID tag, other wirelesscommunications technologies (passive or active), a magnet, or circuitryelectrically connected to the device. The biometric monitoring devicemay change its functionality depending on the case identifier. Forexample, a wristband case identifier may cause data obtained by thebiometric monitoring device to be interpreted with respect to aframework based on the assumption that the biometric monitoring deviceis located on a person's forearm near their wrist. This change infunctionality could include a change in algorithm of counting steps ifthe device were to include a pedometer and/or the display of the time.In another implementation, the wristband may contain a magnet on oneside of the band whose position can be measured by a magnetometer in thedevice and used correct the orientation of the display.

Other implementations regarding the use of short range wirelesscommunication are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/785,904, titled “Near Field Communication System, and Method ofOperating Same” filed Mar. 5, 2013 which is entirely incorporated hereinby reference.

Generally speaking, the above-discussed cases may have channels, vents,and/or windows in them to allow a pressure transducer or altimeter in oron the device housing to be exposed to the ambient pressure, e.g., wateror air pressure, in the vicinity of the biometric monitoring device.Examples of such channels, vents, or windows may be found in ventilationholes 652 of FIG. 6A and ventilation holes 1352 in FIGS. 13H and 13J. Inone implementation, one or more pressure channels allow air pressure totravel from the side of the bottom of the band to one or more pressurevents on the bottom of the biometric monitoring device. These vents mayuse a gas-permeable, liquid-impermeable (or at least liquid-resistant)membrane such as a Gore™ vent to allow a pressure sensor in the interiorof the biometric monitoring device to measure ambient air pressurewithout letting liquid into the interior of the biometric monitoringdevice.

There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. Whilecertain implementations, features, attributes and advantages of theinventions have been described and illustrated, it should be understoodthat many others, as well as different and/or similar implementations,features, attributes and advantages of the present inventions, areapparent from the description and illustrations. As such, the aboveimplementations of the inventions are merely exemplary. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the inventions to the preciseforms, techniques, materials and/or configurations disclosed. Manymodifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure.It is to be understood that other implementations may be utilized andoperational changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent inventions. As such, the scope of the inventions is not limitedsolely to the description above because the description of the aboveimplementations has been presented for the purposes of illustration anddescription.

Importantly, the present invention is neither limited to any singleaspect nor implementation, nor to any combinations and/or permutationsof such aspects and/or implementations. Moreover, each of the aspects ofthe present invention, and/or implementations thereof, may be employedalone or in combination with one or more of the other aspects and/orimplementations thereof. For the sake of brevity, many of thosepermutations and combinations will not be discussed and/or illustratedseparately herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable biometric tracking system, thewearable biometric tracking system comprising: a) a biometric monitoringdevice, the biometric monitoring device including: a barometricaltimeter; a pressure measurement chamber within the biometricmonitoring device, the pressure measurement chamber configured tointerface with the barometric altimeter; a port in the biometricmonitoring device leading from the exterior of the biometric monitoringdevice to the pressure measurement chamber within the biometricmonitoring device; and a liquid-impermeable membrane, theliquid-impermeable membrane placed between the pressure measurementchamber and barometric altimeter, wherein: the liquid-impermeablemembrane is configured to prevent moisture that enters through the portin the biometric monitoring device from coming into contact withelectronics within the biometric monitoring device, and theliquid-impermeable membrane is made from a flexible material thattransfers pressure within the pressure measurement chamber to thebarometric altimeter; and b) a wearable case, the wearable caseincluding: a body; a cavity within the body, the cavity sized to receivethe biometric tracking device and to hold the biometric tracking devicesubstantially fixed with respect to the body when the biometric trackingdevice is fully inserted into the cavity, an opening in the body leadingto the cavity, and a hole that passes through the body, the holepositioned such that a keyring may pass through the hole or such that alanyard may be threaded through the hole.
 2. The wearable biometrictracking system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body ismade of a compliant material.
 3. The biometric tracking system of claim2, wherein the compliant material has a Young's modulus between about 1MPa and 690 MPa.
 4. The biometric tracking system of claim 2, whereinthe compliant material is selected from the group of materialsconsisting of thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic elastomers,thermoplastic vulcanizates, polyurethanes, silicones, and combinationsthereof.
 5. The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 1, whereinat least a portion of the body is made of metal.
 6. The wearablebiometric tracking system of claim 1, wherein the body is molded.
 7. Thewearable biometric tracking system of claim 1, wherein the opening inthe body is sized to be smaller in cross-sectional area than the maximumcross-sectional area of the biometric tracking device in a planesubstantially parallel to the opening when the biometric tracking deviceis fully inserted into the cavity.
 8. The wearable biometric trackingsystem of claim 1, wherein the biometric monitoring device is securableto the wearable case through the use of a magnet or electromagnet. 9.The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 1, further comprising: alanyard threaded through the hole, the lanyard sized so as to bewearable around a person's neck.
 10. The biometric tracking system ofclaim 9, wherein the lanyard is configured to be removed from the body.11. The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a keyring inserted through the hole.
 12. The biometrictracking system of claim 11, wherein the keyring is a split-ring. 13.The biometric tracking system of claim 11, wherein the keyring is alift-open/snap-shut ring.
 14. The wearable biometric tracking system ofclaim 1, the biometric monitoring device further comprising an operatorinterface.
 15. The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 14,wherein the operator interface incorporates one or more user interfacesselected from the group consisting of: a visual user interface, anauditory user interface, and a touch-vibration user interface.
 16. Thewearable biometric tracking system of claim 14, wherein the operatorinterface comprises a digital display.
 17. The wearable biometrictracking system of claim 16, wherein the opening is positioned and sizedto allow at least a portion of the digital display to be visible whenthe biometric monitoring device is fully inserted into the cavity. 18.The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 16, wherein the bodyincludes a window of translucent material, the window of sufficienttranslucency and positioned to allow at least a portion of the digitaldisplay to be visible through the body when the digital display isilluminated.
 19. The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 1,wherein the biometric monitoring device includes one or more sensorsselected from the group consisting of: accelerometers, altimeters, heartrate sensors, temperature sensors, gyroscopic sensors, magnetometers,acoustic sensors, and combinations thereof.
 20. The wearable biometrictracking system of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer.
 21. Thewearable biometric tracking system of claim 1, further comprising agyroscope.
 22. The biometric tracking system of claim 1, wherein thebiometric monitoring device is configured to communicate with externaldevices.
 23. The biometric tracking system of claim 1, wherein the bodyhas a length, a width, and a height and a cross-section of the width andthe height is substantially rectangular.
 24. The biometric trackingsystem of claim 23, wherein the corners of the cross-section haverounded radii.
 25. The wearable biometric tracking system of claim 1,wherein the body of the wearable case includes one or more ventilationholes that are configured to allow ambient air to pass through the caseand reach the port in the biometric monitoring device when the biometricmonitoring device is fully inserted into the cavity.
 26. The wearablebiometric tracking system of claim 1, wherein the body of the wearablecase includes one or more channels that are configured to route ambientair to the port in the biometric monitoring device when the biometricmonitoring device is fully inserted into the cavity.